bh _ how to make a decision

8/6/2019 BH _ How to Make a Decision

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How ToMake ADecision

7 Right Ways (AndWrong Ways) To MakeUp Your Mind


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Page 2 Copyright 2002 by Michael Finley http://mfinley.com

How ToMake ADecision7 Right Ways (And WrongWays) To Make Up Your

Mind

by Michael Finley

e are all members of groups whose entire

purpose is to make andact on decisions. The problem is, wemake decisions without having anaccepted process for doing so.Example?

Youre a member of a family.Someone says, Lets go for a ride!

No one else really wants to go for aride, but they dont want to be rude,so they say, sure, so as not to bedisagreeable. So you all pile into thecar and drive off.

After an hour of this, someone,usually a child, blurts out the truth.What are we even doing here? Ihate car rides!

Now, you may say, Thats adysfunctional family thats aterrible example of decisionmaking.

But the horrible truth is that most of the groups we belong to work teams, investment groups, BoyScout troops, ad hoc committees, thePTA, the Presidents Cabinet inWashington, D.C. work in prettymuch that way. They dont have aset process by which to makedecisions, no one wants to rock the

boat, everybody bends over backwards being polite, so the groupwinds up being dominated by thestrongest, least shy personalities,who always get their way.

Its not just a dysfunctional family.Its a dysfunctional world, when itcomes to decision making.

The whole world jeers a bad

decision, like Napoleons decisionto duke it out with Wellington atWaterloo. That was more than a baddecision; it was a career-killer for the Lil General.

Contrarywise, you can make thewisest decision in the world. Youcan be Solomon in all his wisdomand glory. But if the way youarrived at the decision annoys your constituency, you might wish younever ordered the baby cut in half.

The way a group decides to decideis probably the most important

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decision it will ever make. Because people dont just want rightnesswhen it comes to decisions theywant the rightness arrived at theright way.

Consider Napoleon at Waterlooagain. He had intelligence reportswarning that he was walking into atrap on the Flemish plains. But hedidnt listen to his intelligenceofficers. He listened only to himself.Why not he was Napoleon. Thatwas the Napoleonic way.

Perhaps, if he had shown just a bitof executive flexibility and followedanother method of decision making,he and his team in arms might havehad a better day on the field. He hadseven options, each suitable for aspecific kind of situation. Napoleon,

being an autocrat, would only have been amenable to a couple of thedecision-making approaches. Thegroup you belong to, over the weeksand months of working together,may have to use them all:

1. CONSENSUS

Consensus decision making iswhen everyone in the group getsa chance to air their opinions. Itstrial by jury, in which everyonehas to agree or nothing happens.Once the group achieves aconsensus understanding, they allagree to sign on to the outcomes.

If any group member doesntagree, you keep discussing untilagreement is reached, or you allgive up and walk away. The gutsof consensus is compromise.Only by meeting one another halfway can every group member agree with and commit to theoutcome.

Pluses : Consensus often resultsin an innovative, creative, high-quality decision. It is easy toimplement such a decision

because everyone took part inmaking it. It makes use of everyones talents and expertise.It paves the way to more gooddecisions in the future, becauseno one feels burned. Its a verygood way to make decisionswhen the problem at hand isserious and when political buy-in

by all sides is crucial.

Minuses : Consensus can be areal hassle. It takes a lot of timeand psychological energy, and awhole lot of patience and skill.You cant arrive at this kind of decision with a gun to your heador a ticking clock by your ear.

You cant do it if the buildingyou are in is on fire. Bring atoothbrush you could beworking this out till the weehours.


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2. MAJORITY RULE

Put it to a vote thats how youarrive at a majority decision. Its

the most democratic form of decision making.

The team votes, the majoritywins. Simple.

Pluses : Majority rule workswhen theres no time for a full-dress consensus process, whenthe decision isnt so important

that consensus is necessary, or when 100 percent member concurrence isnt essential for successful implementation.Majority rule is tidy, too, becauseit ends discussion on issues thatare not highly important for theteam. You save time.

Minuses : Majority rule almost

always results in a ticked-off minority; it is a potential time bomb that can explode futuregroup effectiveness. It hurtsfeelings. Talented members of the group can feel snubbed.While the majority is happy andcommitted to the outcome, theminority may feel snookered andindifferent. After a while, thegroup may tend to split alongmajority/minority lines awaste of good intentions andideas.

3. MINORITY RULE

Minority decision makingusually happens when a groupdecides not to handle a decisionall by itself and names asubgroup to research a problemand make the decision.

Pluses : Minority rule is nicewhen not everyone can gettogether to make a decision, andwhen time is short and a quick decision is imperative. It alsomakes sense when only asubgroup has the expertisenecessary for the decision say,those group members who are upon budgetary matters.

And it succeeds when the issue athand is emotionally neutral when no one will be upset that asubgroup has stepped in anddecided for them.

Minuses : Minority rule doesntmake use of the talents of allteam members. It doesnt makefor broad commitment and buy-in.

By not addressing everyonesconcerns, even those with lessexpertise, important issues may

go unaddressed. Conflict andcontroversy may damage thegroups effectiveness in thefuture.


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4. AVERAGING

Averaging is compromise become flesh. You measure the

spectrum of ideas and opt for themiddle of the spectrum. Inaveraging, the middle is alwaysthe right answer. Its howCongress decides things: Whatdoes that soccer mom in Peoriathink? Groups members haggle,

bargain, cajole, and negotiate anintentional middle position.Usually no one is especiallyhappy with the result, not eventhe moderates in the group

because it is a beast with manyarms and legs.

Pluses : Individual errors andextreme opinions tend to canceleach other out, making averaginga better method than authorityrule without discussion, whichIm going to discuss in just asecond.

Minuses : One problem here isthat the opinions of the leastknowledgeable make that thedumbest members of thegroup may annul the opinions of the smartest members. There islittle real group engagement,

because everyone knows the endresult will be mush. Socommitment to the decision willlikewise be on the mushy side.Letting members with the

greatest expertise make thedecision is almost always better than a group average.

5. EXPERT OPINION

This is a simple one. Look outside the group, locate anexpert, throw a lasso around himor her, listen to what they say,and follow their recommen-dations.

Pluses : Expert decision is usefulwhen the expertise of oneindividual is way better than thatof actual group members. Theexpert is so much better informedon the topic, in fact, that thegroup cant even evaluate howgood the expert is. So there islittle discussion. Expert decisionshould be reserved for those

times when the need for member-ship action in implementing thedecision is slight.

Minuses : If youre not an expert,how do you know your expertis really an expert? Nocommitment is built for implementing the decision withthis method. Teamwork falls bythe board, because the expertdoes all the nitty gritty.Resentment and disagreementmay result in sabotage anddeterioration of groupeffectiveness. What expertise


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group members do have goesunused. There is a question of responsibility here. Who is incharge, the group or theconsultant it has hired?

6. AUTHORITY RULEWITHOUT DISCUSSION

This is the way to decide wheretheres just no room for discussion. Instead, the answer comes down on tablets fromMount Sinai. Its how Napoleondecided. Its how certain

presidents decide. Trust is oftenkilled with this method when agroup leader tries to steamroller group members into thinking thattheir opinions about the decisionhad an effect on the decision. Butgroup members know theyre

being jerked around.

Pluses : This dictatorial approachis most applicable for administrative needs, as opposedto political ones, requiring theconsent of the many. It is mostuseful for simple, routinedecisions that dont require muchdemocracy, like how to get to thefreeway. It is useful when verylittle time is available to makethe decision. It is useful whengroup members expect thedesignated leader to make thedecision. And its a good thing

when group members lack theskills or information to make thedecision anyway.

Minuses : In a complex world,one person, no matter how smartor how good, doesnt knowenough to make good decisionson a continuing basis. Thisapproach negates team spirit andcommitment. Resentment anddisagreement often lead to insabotage and group decay. Worstcase scenario: off with his head!

7. AUTHORITY RULE WITH

DISCUSSION

This method is also known asParticipative Decision Making.Unfortunately, lots of peopledont know what that means.Some leaders think it means theyhave to give up their decision-making responsibility.

Not true: under this method,those in the decision-making rolemake it clear from the onset thatthe task of decision making willultimately be theirs. Then they

join in a lively discussion of theissues; their opinions count justas much as other team members.

When they have heard enough tomake an educated decision, they


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cut off the discussion, make thedecision, then get back to allteam members to let them knowhow their inputs affected their

decision. Most team membersfeel listened to and willing to participate in another teamdecision using this method.

Pluses : Gains commitment fromall team members. Develops alively discussion on the issuesusing the skills and knowledge of all team members. Is clear on

who is ultimately accountable for the decision of the team.

Minuses : Requires goodcommunication skills on the partof team members; requires aleader willing to make decisions.

Though fashion occasionallyunderscores one or another approach

consensus and democracy alwayssound good there is no right or wrong way to decide an issue. Theimportant thing is that the groupunderstands, in advance, what decision-making method will beused . The worst thing a leader cando is spring a surprise on the group.If members are apprised of the

process, even Napoleonic methods

have a chance of acquiring theconsent and blessing of all.

With this assent in advance, anydecision you make will be made theright way.

About the Author

Michael Finley

researches andwrites about ahost of topicsrelating toculture andchange. Hiswebsite FutureShoes is a

treasure trove of articles and essaysabout what we are becoming.Mikes book with Harvey Robbins,The New Why Teams Dont Work ,won the Booz-Allen & HamiltonGlobal Business Book Award for Best Management Book, 1995, TheAmericas. Mike enjoys thedistinction of being named one of ahandful of Masters of the WiredWorld in 1998 by Financial Times

Press. Other nominees includeArthur C. Clarke, Nicholas

Negroponte, Alvin Toffler, CharlesHandy, Al Gore, Tony Blair, andJim Barksdale.

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